Forgotten
by THE-GHOST-OF-PURPLENESS
Summary: When Jack Anderson disappears, the Wasabi Warriors are left to pick up the pieces. Two years later, a new Jack surfaces-one with no memory of the Wasabi Warriors. Now, if they ever want to see the old Jack, they'll have to learn to be a team again.../ON INDEFINITE HIATUS/
1. Prologue

**Okay. So this is my first Kickin' It story, yay! And yeah, it's about jack going missing. I realize it's a kind of overdone idea but it's been bouncing around in my head for a while, so I figured I might as well get it down. This is kind of the prologue, I guess. It's the direct aftermath of his disappearance, and the day he actually disappeared will be covered in flashbacks throughout the rest of the story. The rest of the story won't be written like this, though, excluding flashbacks. **

**I only own the plot, the detectives and a few other original characters. Kickin' It is not mine.**

_Kim_

"Can you tell me anything that might help us find Jack?"

Kim Crawford blinks back tears, nodding weakly.

"Maybe…I-I don't know."

"Anything you have. Anything would be helpful."

She hates to be seen like this, but Jack is-Jack is-_gone._

"It was the-the stupid family history project that did it. You could tell, just from the way Jack seemed to crumple the minute Mrs. Burns announced the project that this was going to be-big. Huge."

She chokes back a sob, because, really-Jack is missing and she was a terrible person because she could have saved him or stopped him or _something_. Now, though, that chance has passed. She's useless.

"And all I could think about was the big tournament on Saturday."

The interrogator just nods. His face is devoid of sympathy, but Kim can tell that he's condemning her in his mind. She shivers and tries to continue.

"I feel so _bad_ about not _doing_ anything-he was just so out of it after that. At the dojo after school, he even got beat by Eddie. _Eddie._ I-wish I'd done something _then. _I should have at least ask-asked him."

Kim shudders as another sob wracks her body. She should be strong, tough, holding it together for Jack's sake, but…she can't. Everywhere she turns, there's someone offering their condolences like Jack's _dead_, and everyone has been treating her like she might snap, too, and take off after Jack. It worries her-just how bad is this?

The interrogator motions for her to continue.

"Were there any obvious signs after that that something was wrong?"

She shrugs.

"Sort of. He was just-so distant, so different, and-and-"

"And?"

"And-I don't _know!_ There was just something really off about him for the rest of the week. And every time anyone brought up the project…he _snapped_. Once, he even started crying!"

Kim is beginning to sound hysterical. She can't help it. She just wants to go home, and sleep, and maybe after a quick powernap she'll go punch some dummies. That's what she needs.

Then she thinks of Jack, wherever he is, and how much she's beginning to realize she needs him. Sniffling a bit, she continues.

"Then he disappeared. I'd say he probably ran away, except for the fact that Jack has never been one to run away from his problems."

The interrogator looks at her funny, and she cringes. God, she must look terrible.

"I just want to find him," she whispers finally. "He's my best friend."

* * *

><p><em>Milton<em>

Milton, unlike Kim, is handling things well. He's not crying, he's not pouring his heart out to a stone-like detective, and he's not trying to analyze every second of the past week trying to figure out where exactly they went wrong.

He is, however, glaring angrily at the detective. Everything about this seems so _wrong_ to him-why are they in _here_, asking useless questions when they _should_ be _finding Jack_?

"I don't have anything to say, you know," he states in the most matter-of-fact tone he can manage.

The interrogator just stares at him.

Milton begins to sweat a little, because defying authority just isn't a very _Milton_ thing to do. And deep down, he _knows_ that he should be trying to help the police-it's just that, after so much time living in Jacks shadow, depending on Jack for _everything_, he can't bring himself to take the lead.

He moans and buries his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry." He whispers finally. "Jacks just…always been the hero, I guess. I'm just so worried that he might be gone for good…And I'm not sure I know anything useful-maybe Kim-"

He doesn't get farther than that before the detective sends him out. He hurries out the door, pretending to miss the peeved look on the detective's face.

* * *

><p><em>Jerry<em>

Sitting inside the interrogation room and answering questions isn't how Jerry had imagined his weekend would go.

Although, he thinks to himself, it was better than waiting outside with Jack's hysterical mother and the depressing bunch that was the Wasabi Warriors. _That_ had been torture.

The detective is cold and hard, and to be honest Jerry doesn't think he likes kids very much. And when he asks questions…well, the answers Jerry gives aren't entirely his. It's like he draws out the answers he _wants_, not the answers people have.

"And when did you last see Jack Anderson?"

Jerry sighs. He remembers the last time he saw Jack-just after that tournament on Saturday. Everyone had been going out for ice cream to celebrate-but Jack, who had been looking pale and sick, declined. An hour later, Jack's mom called, panicked. And that was when the search had begun.

He says as much out loud, and the detective jots it down.

"That was…what, a day and a half ago? Don't they say the best evidence in a crime is gathered in the first forty-eight hours?"

The detective actually looks mildly amused at this. "No," he says with a faint smile, dropping the deep, scary interrogator voice. "That usually only applies to homicides-and we really do think Jack's still alive."

Jerry's heart does a little leap at this, and when the detective lets him go a few minutes later, he's still smiling broadly.

* * *

><p><em>Eddie<em>

Eddie steps into the interrogation room, nervous. Everyone but Jerry had come out of this room looking upset-and considering Jerry's eternal state of confusion, that wasn't surprising.

He sits down immediately, and the lady sitting across from strikes him as a more competent version of Joan. She introduces herself as Detective Marshall, and she's taking over for some guy called Keith-apparently, he was the one making everyone cry.

"I don't know why Jack ran away!" he blurts out, right off the bat, and she stares at him.

"Honey," she says in a thick southern drawl, "You think Jack ran away?"

Eddie shrugs. "I dunno. But he's a black belt in karate, so if he were kidnapped wouldn't he have put up a fight or-"

He breaks off, realizing what he's saying-basically, that Jack had done the one thing he would never, ever do. Detective Marshall seems to realize that this is a tough topic for him, and gently steers him onto a subject: the karate tournament on Saturday.

"The last time any of you saw Jack was Saturday, right?"

Eddie nods sadly. "Right after the tournament, yeah. We-did pretty well, not counting Jack, so we went to for ice cream. To celebrate. We invite Jack, but he didn't want to come-said he was feeling kind of sick or something-so we went on without him. And that was the last time we saw him."

Detective Marshall sighs, then tells him he's free to go. "Thank you for your time," she says, and he takes the opportunity to escape.

There, he tells himself. That wasn't _so_ hard. But deep down, though, he knows it was.

* * *

><p><em>Rudy<em>

"Tell us what you know about Jack Anderson's disappearance."

That's the first thing they say to him when he steps in the room. 'They' being a tall blonde woman with a southern drawl and a stony faced man who seriously creeps him out.

"Sit down." It's an order, not an invitation. Rudy sits.

He doesn't know anything, though. He's well aware that he's probably a suspect-he just doesn't know why. And he doesn't have any idea what he could say to change their minds.

"I didn't have anything to do with it, you know. I would never-I would never hurt anybody! Especially not one of my students!"

The detectives are giving him this _look_, like 'we know you did it so stop trying to fool us,' and he withers.

"I didn't _do it!_" he repeats, again and again for a little while until it's become a mantra , and before he realizes it, he's practically crying, and he has _no idea why_.

The detectives look at each other, and the lady steps reaches forward to comfort him. "I believe you," she says, and he notices how she doesn't include the other guy. "But we do information, and we need it badly. Your students-they've definitely given us some useful information, but not enough to go on. We were hoping you would be able to tell us some more."

Rudy shrugs and sniffles a bit. "I-he's been off all week, you know, and the last time I saw him was after that tournament. That's really all I know. Kim might know more; they were pretty close."

They go on like that for almost an hour more, until Rudy feels like they have squeezed every last detail of the past week-from what books he read to what he fed Tip-Tip-and then they release him. By then, he's exhausted, and both detectives look fed up with him. They practically kick him out of the interrogation room.

As he's leaving, he barely misses the withering glares they send his way. Barely.

**Okay, so I realize that some of their reactoins are a bit...weird, to say the least. But I needed some way to distinguish between each character, and this kind of helped me give them each a different sort of personality. I dunno. Anyone who wants to beta this or give me some helpful feedback, that would be seriously helpful. So, yeah. Review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Okay, so last night, shortly after posting the first chapter of this story, I had a stroke of inspiration. I also realized that there's another story on this site already called "Family Ties." So, from this point on, this story will be going by a completely different title-Forgotten-and will be going in a slightly different direction than I had orignally planned. This chaper-and the title-and the new description should probably hint at what will eventually be happening. And, um, I'm still looking for a beta, so if anyone would willing to beta this story, I would be eternally grateful. **

**I don't own aything but the plot, a few original characters, and some 'new and improved' versions of some existing characters. Kickin' It is not mine.**

_Kim-2 Years Later_

There were new kids at Seaford High. It was eerily reminiscent of Jack's first day, actually-but it was a girl who got in a fight with the Black Dragon kids, after they insulted her brother. I'd never actually met the kid, but I'd heard mostly nasty things about him-the sort of things people used to say about the Wasabi Warriors times ten.

The girl herself looked kind of like a jerk, kind of like a juvenile delinquent, and kind of like a scared new kid. She was dressed to intimidate-ripped jeans, combat boots and a leather jacket. I disliked her almost immediately.

"That's Leyla Richards," whispered Grace from beside me. "She's in my algebra class. So is her brother-Jack Richards? He's, like, a genius or something, cause after five minutes he was _done_ with all the problems on the quiz. And _she_-she's got _problems_. Frank insulted her brother or something, and she broke his nose. I dunno _why _she didn't get in trouble for that, but I heard her dad's, like, rich or something, so he's probably, like, pulling strings or something."

Jack. _Of course. _Why did it feel like the universe was out to keep causing me pain?

I shrugged. "Maybe. So if she's here…where's her brother?"

Grace looked at me incredulously. "All that and you're worried about her nerdy brother? Kim, he's not even mildly attractive. Well, I mean, if he lost the glasses and started dressing cool he would be, but he's _super_ nerdy and he's got a _stutter_! _Kim_, are you even listening to me?"

That's the problem with Grace. She's my…_friend_, I guess, but she's shallow and always assumes that a person's interest in anybody of the opposite sex is more than friendly. It annoyed me, but at the same time it was endearing. The same way Jack's constant insistence that I liked him had been _endearing_.

I stood. "Look, Grace-I need to go study for the English test. I'm going to go to the library." Seeing the look on Grace's face, I added, "I promise I'm not going just to get away from you." Then, before she could reply, I hurried out of the cafeteria.

* * *

><p>The library was probably one of my favorite parts of the entire school. Right now it was dark and kind of chilly, but it still felt welcoming. Clutching my notebook and pen, I hurried in.<p>

I was headed towards the 'required reading' section when I ran into someone. They crashed to the ground, dropping the huge stack of books they were carrying.

"Oh my god!" I blurted, embarrassed. "I'm _so_ sorry!" I stuck out my to pull them up. "Here, let me help yo-"

It was Jack.

I stumbled backwards, letting go of his hand. _It's Jack, it's Jack, it's JACK! _I felt like I had been burned. Jack was here. Jack was _alive_.

"Jack?" I croaked weakly. The boy-Jack-looked up at me curiously. His eyes were obscured by thick square glasses, a floppy mop of hair hanging in his face. I blanched.

"I-I'm sorry," I whispered. And I ran.

* * *

><p>Two hours later I was sitting behind the dumpster at the back of the school. <em>Skipping,<em> hissed the little voice in my head. _You're skipping because you met the nerdy new kid. Such a __**smart**__ little move. I'm sure your mother will be __**so**__pleased._

I moaned and buried my head in my hands. That was Jack. That wasn't Jack. Jack or not Jack. Jack or not Jack. _Not Jack,_ sang the little voice. _Just your imagination, Kimberly. Just your imagination._

Sniffling, I shook my head. I'd spent the last two years trying to move on from Jack. We all had. And then Jack-or a Jack look-alike-shows up at school and two years of moving on go down the drain.

"Dammit, Jack," I muttered, "even when you're gone you still manage to cause problems."

Then I sighed and pulled out "Why are you here," I muttered as I scribbled down the new kid's name down on the paper. "Jack Richards. Jack Anderson. Jack Richards is a scrawny geek with glasses, Jack Anderson was _the_ most sought after guy in our grade. Jack Richards stutters, Jack Anderson acted like he owned everything."

Somehow, repeating all their differences only made me more certain they were the same.

_Well, _snickered the little voice, _If Jack __**is**__ back, won't those cutesy little Wasabi Warriors want to know about it?_

And _there_ was the _other_ problem.

There was _no_ way any of the guys were going to want to work together. Jack's disappearance had been _it, _and after that, we just sort of…fell apart. I quit the dojo first, though, and I honestly think they hate me for it. Or they did, anyways. Now, though, they're probably just indifferent.

_You still need them,_ replied the voice. I groaned. I knew that. I just didn't want to admit it. Sighing, I began to run through where I could find all of them.

Milton would either be with Julie or with his nerd friends. Eddie would be…somewhere. Jerry would know. And Jerry…would be at the dojo. Him and Rudy both.

Great. I knew where to find them all. I knew what buttons to push and I knew what to say to make them help me. I didn't want to, though. Two years of progress, gone.

I knew it was necessary. I knew it was-inevitable, I guess, for us to _do_ something about Jack. We had just skirted around the issue and it ended up destroying the Wasabi Warriors-the one thing Jack never would have wanted.

I knew I had to do it-I just wasn't sure if I was ready to be a Wasabi Warrior again.

Or if I was ready to face Jack.

**Wow. That was _way_ different than I had originally planned. And shorter. Way shorter. I don't like how some of it came out, particularly that last bit, but whatever. As always, any helpful feedback or constructive criticism you can give is greatly appreciated. So...review!**


	3. Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT: I will not be updating again until Tuesday. Sorry about that, but it's unaviodable. **

**Okay, so this is Chapter Three. It's from Leyla's POV. In case you've forgotten, Leyla's Jack's sister. And plotwise, this chapter is kind of important, since it gives you some important clues. And I've decided I am now holding a contest: first person to correctly guess what happened to Jack and why, and who did it, will wina prize. Like, an entry from Jack's diary from the month leading up to his disappearance. Or, if yuour guess is really close, I might give a lesser prize. **

**Thanks to BTRRocks-4ever for being the first person to leave a review that said something other than 'update' or 'this is good'. Even if I didn't get it at first. **

**I don't own Kickin' It or any recognizable characters. All I own is the plot, some 'modified' characters, and one or two original characters.**

_Leyla_

Our first day of school at Seaford High was…interesting, to say the least.

It started with English class. Some guy with thick eyebrows and clothes that screamed 'wannabe punk' had accidentally pushed me into a wall. Then in history, some chick called Danna or something stupid like that called me 'that rich emo freak.' And then in science, some nerd-a kind of cute nerd, actually-decided to to correct every one of the teachers somewhat pathetic answers to our questions. Which actually reminded me of Jack-nerdy and awkward and strangely cute.

But sometime between science and history, someone insulted Jack and the insults just got worse. By lunch, the entire school had heard about the 'nerdy genius freak. They had also heard about 'the hot new girl', but that didn't really bother me as much.

Jack left at the beginning of lunch to go find some books at the library. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the cafeteria for a few minutes, until some random football player came up to me halfway through lunch. He smirked at me, made some small talk, and then-

"So, why don't you ditch your lame-ass brother and come hang out with some _real_ men, babe. I know _all_ about hot chicks like you."

Which basically started World War Three.

After I finished teaching the jock not to insult Jack and not to flirt with me, I sat down to eat. The cute nerd from science walked up.

"You just beat up Frank," he said incredulously, sitting down. I glared at him.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," I muttered. He just looked at me.

"Why? I mean, he may be a jerk, but-"

"He insulted my brother and insulted me, and I was _not_ in the mood to deal with sexist pigs like him."

The nerd just looked at me. Finally, he stuck out his hand. "I'm Milton. You're Leyla, right?" I nodded. "Well, _Leyla_, I was wondering if you're any good at acting. I'm directing the school play-Romeo and Juliet-and we still need a Juliet, if you're interested."

I shrugged. I _did_ act, actually, and I was pretty good at it. "Well…I'd have to think about it, Milton, but, uh, that sounds pretty cool."

Milton did a little victory dance. "Really? Because if we had an attractive female playing Juliet, people might actually come! This is great!"

I blushed. Milton glanced at his watch and pursed his lips. "Er, sorry, Leyla, but I have to go. I'll see you around!" He hurried off, and I smiled to myself.

Maybe there _were_ some good things about Seaford High.

* * *

><p>Jack came back from the library looking more than a little freaked out. His glasses were skewed on his face, his brown eyes darting around worriedly.<p>

He looked-terrified. Like he'd seen a ghost. Something clicked in my mind and I wondered, briefly, if this had been what Dad had warned me about. _Dangerous things,_ he'd said, looking me straight in the eye, then glancing over my shoulder at Jack. _You need to protect him, Leyla. You're his sister-you have be strong for him._

I blinked back to the here and now. Jack looked exhausted, and I was tempted to suggest just skipping and going home to sleep-but then, maybe it wasn't sleep that Jack needed.

"What's-what's wrong, hon?" I winced at the southern accent slip up, but for once Jack didn't catch it. He just stared weakly at the floor. "Jack…"

"I met this girl in the library!" he blurted out. I raised my eyebrow at him. "She…accidentally ran into me. I, um-she was kind of, I dunno, familiar. I-she was pretty…weird. The whole thing was weird, actually-she was like, 'Jack, Jack,' and then, she, um…freaked out. And ran off. And I feel really bad about it, but I don't what I did and I don't even know who she was so I can't apologize!"

I blinked. Jack _never_ said that much at once. He was shy. He _stuttered_, even with me.

But then-this girl-she was the one I was worried about. What was it Dad had said when we got here-_It's a trap. They want to draw us out, we want to draw them out. And anyone could trigger. If you see or hear anything suspicious, let me know. Leyla. __**Lives**__ are at stake. We can __**not**__ slip up._

"I…" I shrugged. "I don't know what that was, Jack. Sorry. I mean, couldn't she have just mistaken you for someone else?" Jack shrugged, and I rushed to add more detail to my lie. "Like…that kid who disappeared. Jack Anderson! He kind of looks like you, you know!"

Jack squinted at me. "Well…" he said slowly, "I guess you're right. It was just so weird."

I nodded and prayed to whatever god was listening that Jack never dug any deeper. Jack Anderson had disappeared**.** He was gone for good. Jack Richards, however, was here to stay. And I planned on keeping it that way.

**Sooo...about Milton being 'cute'. I personally think he could be cute to some people, and Leyla just happens to be one of them. And I know, I said last chapter that Juliet and Milton were still dating. And they still _are_ dating. But the whole Leyla/Milton thing, although one-sided right now, is probably going to become a major plot point, and I kind of wanted to get it out there early. There won't be another Leyla chpater for a while, becuase she's kind of hard to write and the other characters need time to shine, too. And as for Jack just believing her excuse-it actually makes sense. Jack Richards has never had any reason to believe he used to be someone else. And that point will be kind of important later on, so keep that in mind. **

**Just a reminder, I'm not going to be able to update for a few days, so don't expect anything new. After this update, I should probably be updasting once or twice a week. If I get more reviews, though, I might update daily! (Yes, I am hinting shamelessly. It works with my dad, I hope it works with you guys. ;P)**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi guys! Sorry about the long wait, but I was traveling, then I had a whole lot of work for school...andyways, I'm back now! So, I've decided on a new setup. Every other chapter will be from Kim's point of view. The rest of the gang will get shapters, I promise, but not right away. And thanks to all of you who reviewed this story. Also thanks to those of you who favorited this story or put it on your alert list. You have no idea how much taht means to me. **

**I do not own Kickin' It. I only own the plot, some original characters, and some modified existing characters.**

I couldn't sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, images of Jack and the Wasabi Warriors and the last time we were all together flashed through my mind.

"_Aren't you coming?" I turn around just as I'm about to get in the car. "We __**can**__ give you a ride, you know." _

_Jack smiles weakly and just shakes his head. "I'm just gonna go home. I'm not feeling so well."_

_I nod. Jack's been off his game all week, ever since that big family tree project was announced. Yesterday, __**Eddie**__ even managed to beat him while they were sparring. It was worrying. _

"_Well…okay, then. Do you need a ride?"_

_Jack shakes his head. "I'll walk. I live pretty close by, anyways. Thanks, though."_

_I nod and step in the car. "See you Jack!" I call out the window. _

_Jack just nodded._

I shot up in bed. Something had clicked in my mind, just as I had been waking up, and now…it was gone.

* * *

><p>For the rest of the day, I was too preoccupied with figuring out exactly <em>how<em> that last tournament and the project fit into all of this. Jack, who wasn't really Jack but was, and his sister, and all of that…it confused me. And by the end of the day, I had only decided on one thing: that project, the one about the family tree, was pivotal.

Everything had changed just _after_ it had been announced. So for whatever reason, it had caused Jack's disappearance, then reappearance as a completely different person.

I just didn't know how.

I wanted to talk to his sister—confront her, really—but I knew I couldn't. She could be armed and dangerous for all I knew, and she could try to tab me the second I brought up Jack. But I had seen Milton talking to her the other day in the cafeteria. He might know something.

Sighing, I headed towards my last period class. It was decided. I would talk to Milton.

* * *

><p>I caught up with Milton just as he was about to get on his bus.<p>

"Milton!" I cried, wincing at the looks everyone shot me. It made sense, I guess, seeing as I was a cheerleader and he was nerd, but I had thought that they would have remembered the year Jack was here. We had all been friends then.

Milton glanced up from his phone. "_Kim?_" He sounded just as shocked as everyone else looked.

"Yeah. Look, we need to talk. Like, now." He motioned for me to continue, and I shook my head. "Not _here_, you idiot! In private!" He raised an eyebrow.

"I need to catch the bus, Kim…" I ignored him and grabbed his arm, dragging him away towards the back of the school. "It's an emergency," I snapped. "My mom can give you a ride home."

He looked uncertain, and I stopped pulling for a moment. He didn't try to run. "Fine," he said finally. "What exactly is this emergency?"

I frowned. I had planned everything out during last period, but the words escaped me. Milton tapped his foot and glanced at his watch.

"I'm waiting, Kim."

I took a deep breath. "There's no easy way for me to say this, Milton, but I'm going to just come right out and say it-" I paused. Then, before I could lose my nerve, I blurted out, "Jack's back!"

Milton blinked at me. A rush of emotions ran across his face—shock, disbelief, anger, and finally, annoyance.

"Kim," he snapped, "If this is some kind of joke, it's not funny. Jack. Is. Gone."

I shook my head desperately. "NO! No, Milton—do you honestly think I would joke about that?" The look on his face said yes, he did, and it stung, but I kept on going. "I'm serious. Jack really is back. But…he's, I dunno, _not_ _Jack._ I ran into him in the library yesterday. He said his name was Jack Richards. His sisters that girl who started the cafeteria fight?"

Milton stared at me. "Kim, just because they have the same first name _doesn't_ make them the same people."

I glared at him. "No, _Milton_, I mean he really was Jack. A nerdier, more awkward version of him, but Jack all the same. He even had the same moles on his cheeks!"

"Okay…" said Milton hesitantly. "Let's say you're actually right, by some miracle, and that really is Jack. Why would he be going by Richards instead of Anderson, and where did he get the sister?"

I shrugged. "That's the problem. He didn't recognize me. He doesn't know who any of us are, and I bet he probably doesn't even know his real name!"

Milton sighed. "Do you think you could point him out for me?"

I shook my head no. "He already left. Milton, I'm telling you this because I really need your help. I'm 100% certain that was Jack. I just…" He stared at me. "I just really want my friend back, okay? And you're smart, so I thought…"

Milton finished for me. "You thought I might know how to get him back to normal, right?" I nodded. "Well, Kim, I'm sorry. But that probably isn't Jack. You could just miss him so much that your subconscious is making you see things."

His voice was gentle and pitying, like everyone else had sounded in the weeks after Jack had disappeared. Like I was fragile. Breakable. Like I needed to be taken care of. I hated it.

"Milton. That _is_ Jack. Whether you believe me or not is your choice, but I thought you might like to know, considering the fact that you were flirting with his sister yesterday. And he's your friend, too. And when we get him back, he's gonna need some friends. Are you going to be one of them?"

Milton stared at me. "Fine. I believe you. Now what next?"

**Okay, so this chapter was shorter than I had planned. I don't quite like some parts of this chapter, so if anyone has any suggestions, please, review or PM me. As always, please review. **

**Next chapter: Milton.**


	5. Chapter 4

**So...this is chpater 4-er, 5-of Forgotten. And its in Miltons POV! YAY! Seriously, though, I've been waitng for this for _ever_. Milton, unlike the others, seems sort of under-developed, and I think he's really likely to change as he gets older. Or at least, I hope he does. Because my portrayal of him is rather different, to say the least. Anyways, this chapter should put me over the limit for beta reading, so I am now an available beta reader! YAY! So, if any of you wants me to beta or something...I would love to!**

**And thanks to all of you who favorited this story or put it on your alert list. And to you reviewers. I LOVE reviews-they're addictive. I swear.**

**Anyways, I don't own Kickin' It or anything...yada yada ya, etc, etc, blah...and now, on with the show!**

_Milton_

The look on Kim's face as she begged-_pleaded_-with me to believe her stuck in my mind for hours after her mom dropped me off at my house. Desperate, messy and _hopeful_-she looked and sounded so much like she needed this to be true, and I honestly didn't have the heart to tell her no.

_But it can't possibly be true, _hissed a little voice in my head. I knew that—Jack Anderson was gone, and we all needed to accept that. But there was a look in Kim's eyes, and something in her voice as she broke the news—and for a second, I almost believed her. But then she mentioned Leyla, and Jack Richards, and I realized that Kim had lost it.

Because, as much as it hurt to say, Jack really was gone, and after two years, we needed to accept the fact that he wasn't coming back, and move on with our lives.

Which I had thought Kim was doing, until she completely lost it and tried to convince me that Jack had come back from the dead or something as someone _else_.

And now I had let myself be roped into some half-brained plan to figure out who Jack Richards really was.

And I knew, even though I'd never met him myself, that he was one hundred percent normal. Even at lunch that day, when Leyla had somehow steered onto the topic of family and she had told me all about her brother, I had gotten the impression of a kind of awkward nerdy boy who hadn't quite come to terms with himself yet. Really, the picture I got reminded me of a more timid version of myself a few years ago.

"Kim must _really_ be convinced," I muttered, flopping onto my bed, "To actually think that some stuttering nerd is _Jack_."

My phone buzzed. Julie had sent me a text.

'**where r u?'**

I shrugged, grinning. Julie, my sweet, lovable girlfriend, always coming in at jut the right time.

'**at home. why?'**

She texted back within a few moments.

'**want to see a movie?'**

I grinned.

'**sure. what movie?'**

She didn't actually know, but she figured we could just pick once we got there. I grabbed my jacket and some money, and left.

* * *

><p>We got there and decided on Alvin and the Chipmunks 3. It seemed cute, and Julie had this thing about chipmunks.<p>

We bought a huge pile of sour candies—again, Julie's idea—and popcorn and some soda. We hurried into the theatre just as the previews finished, and sat at the very back.

"This is nice," whispered Julie as the chipmunks got blown out to sea on a runaway kite. "We haven't really spent much time together in a while."

That was true. Ever since Julie switched to AP biology—a course I'd already completed—and gotten a completely new schedule, we hadn't seen each other much. We didn't even have our lunches, and free period—which by some miracle we had together—had been ruined by the play.

I grinned and leaned back in my seat. "Yeah," I agreed, "It is. What is it about singing chipmunks that makes all the bad things go away?"

She looked at me sharply. "Bad things?"

I winced. Okay, so maybe that hadn't quite come out right. "I—the play, and everything! It's stressing me out!"

The look on her face softened. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess that would stress me out, too. Look, Milton, I was just wondering…"

I turned to her. "What?"

She sighed. "I just…thought maybe you might be having a hard time. It's getting kind of close to when Jack..._left_, and I was worried…"

I blinked. "Oh. Jules, you don't need to worry. I swear, I've moved on. I'm not stuck in the past like _some_ people."

She sighed in relief. "That's good. You've just been so distant lately, and I thought you might have been thinking about—I dunno, disappearing like he did."

I grinned at her. It was false, but in the dim light she probably couldn't tell. "I'm not going anywhere, Jules. I've got _you_ here, don't I?"

She laughed. "Right. Sorry. So just to clarify, you're not going anywhere anytime soon, right?"

I laughed and kissed her.

Maybe Kim had lost it and I was beginning to believe her. Singing chipmunks are the antidote to everything, and I was already feeling better.

* * *

><p>Halfway through the movie, I excused myself to go to the bathroom.<p>

I didn't actually have to go. But somewhere between my spectacular burst of happiness and the purple chipmunk's kidnapping, my thoughts had gone back to Kim and her insane claims of another Jack. I needed to leave.

So I stood in the lobby for a little while. I wasn't _doing_ anything, but watching the people walk by and the cashiers behind the candy bar dancing to Katy Perry was strangely relaxing, in a messy, sort of crazy way.

After a little while, I headed back. Julie was so engrossed in the movie she didn't even seem to register my return, and I silently thanked whatever gods were out there for that. I didn't need her incessant questioning just then.

The purple chipmunk launched into a rendition of SOS by Rihanna, and I tried to process the day's events.

_Jack is back_. I groaned and buried my head in my hands. Julie looked at me, concerned, but I shook my head and mouthed 'headache'. She raised an eyebrow, disbelieving, but then the volcano erupted on the screen and she was distracted again.

_Jack is back._

Jack was _not_ back.

_No, he is too!_

Great. Even the voices in my head were beginning to try and convince me of it. And…they were beginning to sound a lot like Jerry.

I shuddered.

By the time the movie ended, I felt a bit better. I walked Julie home, kissed her goodnight, and then walked another mile and a half to my house. Thankfully, it was Friday. I didn't have it in me to go to school tomorrow and face Kim—and Leyla—and, oh _god_, Jack Richards.

I just didn't have it in me, period. For anything.

* * *

><p>As I lay in bed later that night, I got one more text message from Julie.<p>

'**Whatever the problem is, I hope you feel better… Love, Julie'**

I grinned. So what if Kim had single handedly ruined my entire life?

I was already beginning to feel better.

**Okay. So that did not turn out like I had planned. Honestly, I had just wanted a sort of fluffy chapter with Julie and Milton, and some of his coming to turns with Kim's insanity...but I had planned for the whole movie thing and all that feeling better stuff to come later on, when his world _really_ crumbles down on him. Because I think it would be sweet, and a really great way to advance the plot. Whatever. I guess I can always just come up with something new for later on...**

**So, read, review, criticize, etc. I don't really need to say it again.**

**Next chapter: Kim**


	6. Chapter 5

**So, chapter five is FINALLY here! I know, I know, I took forever to get it up. Sorry about that. But, you know, it's up on May 1st just like I said it would be! Oh yeah. I met my own deadline for the first time in ages. So, anyways, hope you guys enjoy it.**

**This chapter is dedicated to sleepuntiltomorrow, who motivated me to actually write this by reading and reviewing each chapter. Thank you so much Em! You. Are. Awesome.**

**I don't own Kickin It. **

_Kim_

There's a newspaper article hanging on my wall, just above my desk. It's old and ripped, and the tape that I used to stick it up there hasn't really been sticky in months.

It's the article covering Jack's disappearance.

I'd read it a hundred times at least, and I could probably have recited it from memory if that had ever interested me.

I hadn't even looked at it since Jack reappeared.

But on Sunday morning, I woke up, and the second I rolled out of bed I knew I had to look at it.

It was ripped and wrinkled from almost two years of constant abuse (ripping it off the wall, crumpling it up and throwing it across the room in a fit of anger) and stained with tears.

I pulled it down off the wall and spread it out on my desk.

"**Local Karate Champion Disappears, Police Searching for Answers."**

Beneath that, in smaller print, the few details the police had gathered were listed along with some basic information and a huge, blown-up photo of Jack just after our first win as a team.

I read it over a few times, not finding anything, and then—one sentence seemed to pop out.

"…_the family moved here shortly after Janet Anderson's estranged ex-husband was released from jail."_

Released from jail—_released from jail. _Jail.

Jack's dad was a criminal.

Suddenly Jack's reaction to the project made sense.

_His dad was a __**criminal**_.

Three hours of Internet research later, I still hadn't figured much out. There was nothing more than that he was a criminal who had been released from jail shortly before Jack had moved here.

I collapsed into my desk chair, groaning loudly. I had a lead—but there was no name, no dates, no more information. I could call Milton, but I wasn't sure how much help he would be. He was an academic genius, but things like Internet research and subject narrowing and—I prayed to god it wouldn't come to this—_hacking_.

No, I was better off going to someone with a bit more knowledge. But _who_?

A moment later, I knew who. I groaned and grabbed my phone.

"Truman? _Yeah_, I need to cash in on that favor."

* * *

><p>Truman was one of the few people who hadn't really changed since Jack's disappearance. He had gotten taller, thinned out a bit, and lost that nasally quality to his voice, but he was still fundamentally the same: obnoxious, rude, and (though I hate to admit it) smarter than most people.<p>

And right now, he was the only who could help me.

"Soooo…" Truman sat down at the park table, smirking at the laptop screen. "What exactly did you need help with?"

I frowned and pulled up an archived copy of my article, the phrase highlighted in blue.

"I want to know about _this_."

Truman raised an eyebrow, glancing at me with something similar to concern. "Kim…that's what _Google _is for."

I glared at him. "Dammit, Truman, I already _tried_ that. I'm not stupid."

Truman had already opened a new tab and searched 'Jack Anderson family tree,' shaking his head at the results.

"Alright, Kim. What's the joke? Where's the info?"

I shot him a look. "Ass. That's the _problem_. There are _no_results. I mean, he's in jail and he was released shortly before Jack moved here, but that's all I've found. Everything!"

Truman frowned and bent over the laptop, muttering to himself. A minute later he straightened up, shaking his head. "So, okay, this is weird. There are ghost files and stuff, photos and information, like someone has systematically removed them from the web."

He paused, looking up at me with a worried frown. "Someone wanted to keep this information secret, Kim. And whoever did it is smart."

He shoved the laptop back towards me. "I've got some stuff at home to—let's call it _recover_—the info, but it'll take a while. I'll email it to you once I'm done."

He stood.

"And Kim? Be careful. Because anyone who's willing to go through all that trouble to stay anonymous—they're not good guys."

I sat on the bench for a while afterwards, enjoying the warm sun and the cool spring air.

_Be careful._

And I wondered why anyone would try to disappear like that—and what it had to do with everything else that had happened.

* * *

><p>By the time I had gotten home, showered, eaten dinner, finished <em>all<em> of my homework, watched two episodes of '_Glee_', and written out every one of my ideas for getting Jack back on paper, Truman still hadn't sent me the info. The old me would have assumed that he had simply double-crossed me—but no, I knew it wasn't that simple. Truman wasn't the nicest person around, or the most trustworthy, but we had an understanding.

_Just because he's gone now doesn't mean he's gone forever._

He had been the one who brought me back down to earth after Jack disappeared, and he had been the one to convince me that I shouldn't just give up.

And then there was the small matter that he owed me big time, and while he didn't like it, he also wouldn't go back on his word with me.

"_Kim_!"

I sighed and rolled over in bed. "_What?"_

"_Come _HERE! It's important!"

* * *

><p>I groaned and stood up, pulling a robe on over my PJ's and sliding my feet into my slippers.<p>

I trudged down the hall, moaning loudly. My mother stood at the door to his room, frowning worriedly.

"Kim." She sounded annoyed, and worried. "_Kim_. I—_who have you been talking to?_—they _threatened _us! Me, your dad, _you_."

She was holding a sheet of paper in his hands, shaking it. "Read it." She thrust it at me, frowning.

I read it aloud, my voice shaky. "_Quit trying to find answers where there are no questions. You don't know what you're dealing with, so stay out of it. This is the big league, you aren't ready for it yet. We can find your mom, your dad, you, whenever we want, we can hurt you, and we can hurt them. Stop searching for answers. Or we will end you all."_

**OOH! The plot thickens. This chapter had seriously been unexpected, and half the stuff that happened in here wasn't supposed to, but then the entire story got a whole new plot and then I decided to do some hacking and ghost files (thank Artemis Fowl, the Lost Colony for that-Eoin Colfer is a _genius_) and then I brought in Truman, and then I added in the threat to end it on an interesting note...and it spiraled. So, as per usual, please review.**

**And I challenge you guys to figure out what crime Jack's dad was in for. First person to guess correctly will get a prize.**

**Next chapter: either Jack, Julie, or Jerry. One of them.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hi guys! It's me again, I'm not dead! I know I promised to have this up, like within a few days of my last post, but life happened. And I haven't had the chance until now. Anyways, I know you guys wanted Jack's POV, but I went with Julie for a few reasons. Which will be explained at the bottom AN, ok?**

**And we have reached 50 reviews! Ashley gets a shoutout for being reviewer #50! You rock! **

**And of course, thanks to everyone else who reviewed and/or favorited/alerted this fic! And to the three people who added me as a favorite author and the one who put me on author alert, you guys are AWESOME! **

**I do not own Kickin It or any affiliated characters. **

_Julie_

Monday afternoons at the Bobby Wasabi dojo were hectic. In the two years since Jack had disappeared, almost sixty more people had joined—from experienced Black Dragons to awkward little newbies, the dojo had seriously blossomed.

And though I hated to admit it, Jack's appearance—and the publicity it had brought the dojo—had really helped with business.

I worked there on Mondays, as an accountant-slash-publicist-slash-consultant-slash-assistant. I didn't actually enjoy the job, but Rudy desperately needed the help and although Milton didn't technically _do_ karate anymore, it still meant a lot to him.

And at this point, I couldn't just leave Rudy _alone _with a class full of twenty newbies who couldn't defend themselves at all.

This Monday, however, was different. Despite it being 4:30 already, there was no noise coming from outside my—Rudy's—office. I couldn't even hear concerned mothers hovering outside the doors.

Groaning, I opened the door, prepared to stop whatever harebrained scheme Rudy had come up with and—the bottle of water I'd been holding fell to the ground.

Rudy and Kim looked up, surprised.

Kim.

_Kim_.

"What are _you_ doing here, _Kim_?"

Kim glanced at me, hurt written all over her face, and I winced. I hadn't meant for it to come out so harsh.

"Hi, Julie," she said in an overly peppy voice, a fake smile plastered across her face. "I was just leaving."

I raised an eyebrow but said nothing, not caring too much why she was here or when she was leaving—No, scratch that. I didn't care about Kim _at all_.

But then I looked over at Rudy, whose eyes were wide with surprise and—hope, I think—and suddenly I wanted to know. Not because I had any real interest in Kim or her friends, but—Milton had looked like that. At the movies, at school, all last week. He'd looked lost and confused, like there was something far more important that he should be doing—it was like I was losing him.

I sighed. "Actually, Kim, I've been meaning to talk to you…"

There was a pause. Kim looked at me curiously. Even Rudy, who spent most of the time off in his own, twisted little world, looked confused. Or worried about my sanity. I didn't really blame either of them. Kim kissing Milton—which really had been a big deal, despite the fact that I'd told Milton that it was fine—had driven a wedge between us. Then Jack disappeared, and she stopped talking to Milton. And by extension, me.

"Rudy, if you wouldn't mind…" I waved my hand towards his office, smiling pleasantly. He left.

Cue the awkward silence.

Finally, Kim spoke. "So…what'd you want to talk to me about?"

I frowned at her. "This," I said curtly, waving my hand towards Rudy's office. "_That_."

"What is '_this, that_?'"

I glared at her. "Whatever you've been talking to Rudy…to Milton…about."

Kim laughed. I thought it sounded fake. "Oh, _that_? I was just…_thinking_ about re-_joining_ the dojo, and I…wanted their input!"

She was too bright, I decided, and her lies were too obvious. "Right. Now seriously, you better have a good reason for making Rudy a half hour late for his meds, and I mean really good."

Kim winced. "…_Meds?_"

I nodded curtly. He hadn't actually been late in taking them today—actually, they were the one thing he was responsible about—but Kim didn't know that.

"Yeah, _meds_. Cops thought he was behind it all, you know." I paused. "No, actually, you _wouldn't_ know, since you just quit once Jack was gone, right when Rudy _needed_ someone with their head on straight."

Now _that_ was meant to sound harsh.

Kim just glared. "Except I _didn't_ have my head on straight, _Julie_! Which, oh, you would have known if it had ever occurred to you to give a damn about anyone other than your _boyfriend_!"

Silence.

Finally, I turned on my heel and stalked away. Not towards Rudy's office, but towards the door.

"I don't really give a damn about you and your stupid lies," I snapped as I reached the door. "But I pray to god you're not doing anything that could…well, _tip the scales_, if you catch my drift."

I turned to face her, suddenly feeling a bit guilty. "And Kim? You're not the only one who needs Jack here."

She shot me one more unreadable look, and I left.

* * *

><p>The sun outside was burning. The day seemed too hot for early spring, and I almost turned around to head back into the dojo.<p>

I knew I couldn't go back, but I also couldn't leave Rudy alone for so long. I had meant it when I said that Kim could tip the scales for Rudy—and sadly, I got the feeling it wouldn't exactly be in a good way.

The thing about Rudy was, after Jack's disappearance and the investigation into him and his dojo, things had gotten rough. For a while, before things began letting up, the dojo and him got lots of bad publicity. No one wanted their kids training with the man who was thought to be behind an innocent boy's disappearance, after all. Of course, once his name was cleared, people began trickling back.

And that was when Rudy started showing the _signs_.

I knew them by heart by the time I actually saw them—confusion, anger, mood swings, voices. Rudy was losing it, Milton had said, but he couldn't be there to help him and he couldn't trust any of the others to handle it. Too close to the situation, he'd said, and I had agreed.

Eventually, the odd babysitting job I had morphed into one of management, and I started a few publicity campaigns to get the dojo back up and running. I even used Jack's disappearance a few times, which was a bit too close to home for some people, but eventually people started signing up and the dojo slowly but surely came back to life.

And Rudy just drifted farther and farther away.

He got the meds after I found the scars on his wrists. I like to think I saved a life that day, but as Milton had once pointed out, from what?

Maybe I had just condemned him.

**Wow. That was a much darker ending than intended. But I like it-actually, I personally feel like Julie and Milton were my best chapters yet. Anyways, I did have reasons for using Julie instead of Jack. **

**-This chapter, particularly the bit about Rudy and Kim talking and Rudy's...condition, guess, are important for later on.**

**-Jack is still a confused nerd with no knowledge of anything, so I can't write from his POV without it being a filler chapter or filled with meaningless Leyla/Jack sibling fluff. Or without giving away the plot-I actually tried, and I almost posted a chappie that basically gave everything away.**

**-And finally, I needed to take a look at this whole mess through the eyes of someone who is _not_ deeply ingrained in the situation. Jerry wasn't chosen for that because...well, see reason 1. **

**So, I hope you enjoyed reading, and thanks for reviewing! I hope to see you next chapter with Kim again!**


	8. EMERGENCY UPDATE

**EMERGENCY UPDATE:**

**Alright guys, I'm sorry I haven't updated in forever. I feel terrible about it and it's been weighing on my conscience for months, but unfortunately I haven't been able to do anything about it. What's worse is that this terrible hiatus will continue for several months at the least, as I want to focus on school and maybe one story that I think has great potential, and this fic just isn't it. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but planning and reworking and writing and then beating myself up about publishing a crappy, rushed chapter...it's too much. So it'll be going on hiatus for several months. In that time I hope to get into a good study/write/live schedule, find a beta, write a few one-shots and maybe get a poll going on what should happen next. I do need some ideas on what direction this fic should go in, though, so if you want me to continue in few months I'll need a beta (or two!) and a lot of ideas. I'll probably spend this time rewriting a good portion of this fic as well as some others, so look out for that. **

**Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement and I hope to be back in action sooner rather than later. If you have any ideas, advice, or just want to talk PM me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.**

**Thanks again,**

**The Ghost of Purpleness**


End file.
